Interesting! I saw the top photo just today on someone's Pinterest board. Made a note of it, because I like it & also wanted to know what it was. The pic I saw said it was atop Mt. Kathmandu. It looks somewhat like a Crassula, but I really have no idea. Do you know if the bottom pic is supposed to be buds of the plant in the first pic?

Gentiana urnula Harry Sm. looks to be very close. I don't know if any others are similar enough to be mistaken but synonyms include Gentiana amoena var. major Burkill, Gentiana amoena f. pallida C.Marquand and Gentianodes urnula (Harry Sm.) Á.Löve & D.Löve.

FANTASTIC research, One Windowsill!! I believe you've nailed it!! I had been looking for alpine plants in Gentiana, after searching images-Wikipedia-which did not list urnula. Just coming back after finding the rutgers link you gave.

This is such a neat plant! Not a succulent, but I'd love to have/grow...too bad I can't. Thanks for your efforts to find the name!

I presume that you mean it is a little hot where you are to be growing this, Rosemarie. The seed was listed in last (but not this) year's seedlist from the Alpine Garden Society. Those sort of offerings are usually met by an undignified scrum of enthusiasts so it would be a gamble joining just for the one species.

It may not be a succulent but it must be a very specialised xerophyte as it is so dry up there, even when the water is not frozen. Ordinary gentians are famous for their fussiness, this one is probably going to be a challenge.